1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to van-type semi-trailers and similar cargo vehicles and containers of the type constructed of a plurality of upstanding rectangular panels composed of thin aluminum plate or composite materials, wherein a space is provided between at least a selective pair of adjacent plates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The van-type semi-trailers and cargo vehicles contemplated by the present invention generally include a trailer section constructed of a plurality of rectangular panels composed of thin aluminum plate or composite materials. Such materials are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,685,721, 4,810,027, 4,904,017, 4,940,279, 5,066,066 and 5,112,099. In particular, such cargo vehicles include at least a portion of the wall structure thereof formed by such adjacent panels which are maintained in side-by-side relationship.
Cargo carriers of the type disclosed in the above noted patents generally employ particularly thin rectangular panels which are coupled by relatively flat joining members in a manner to form a semi-trailer, cargo vehicle, container, or other cargo carrier having a high cubic capacity. The thickness of the plate materials which form the walls of such cargo carriers is maintained at a minimum in order to maximize the volume of the cargo carrier for a given width. Accordingly, in the construction of such cargo carriers, particular care has been required in the handling of the panel members in order to protect the edges of the panel members to ensure that the panels are smooth and flat. For example, any burr, bend, or crease can have a tendency to allow moisture to creep between the panel member and the joining member joining the panel to an adjacent panel, thereby tending to permit possible damage to the cargo carrier contents. Also, any burr, bend or crease in the plate edge may have the tendency to displace the joining member outwardly from the edge portions of the plate. The special care handling requirements imposed during the construction of such carriers contributed directly to an increased manufacturing cost of such carriers.
Other particular problems of such plate type cargo carriers have resulted when it became desirable and necessary to include logistics tracks on the sides of such cargo carriers. Logistics tracks are generally vertically oriented steel tracks which include apertures or other means to attach logistic fittings or supports such as hooks or the like. The attachment of logistics tracks directly to the flat plates is effectively prohibited since such an attachment requires holes in the plates for fasteners, which can contribute to the invasion of weather, causing elements such as rain, snow or the like to enter. Also, such holes can also produce unwanted stress which may contribute to untimely product failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,099 to Yurgevich et al. relates to plate trailer joints wherein a joining member for joining an adjacent pair of plates on the side of a cargo carrier is formed by a rectilinear strip having an inner surface which includes a pair of flanges positioned between two rows of apertures straddling a channel of uniform depth. In one embodiment, an outer rectilinear strip and an inner rectilinear strip are provided, each strip having an outer surface, an inner surface, parallel edges joining the outer and inner surfaces, and two rows of apertures extending between the outer and inner surfaces. One row of apertures is provided adjacent each of the edges of the outer and inner strips for receiving means for fastening the strips to the plates. The outer strip inner surface includes a pair of flanges positioned between the selected pair of adjacent plates and projecting toward the inner strip outer surface forming a channel of uniform depth situated between the pair of flanges, and the inner strip includes means aligned with the channel for receiving logistics fittings. In one embodiment the pair of flanges are positioned between the selected pair of adjacent plates and extend from the outer plate entirely to the inner plate and contact the outer surface of the inner plate. In another embodiment the flanges extend from the outer plate toward the inner strip outer surface, but do not physically contact the inner strip outer surface.
While the joint disclosed in the Yurgevich et al '099 patent is stated to provide the stiffness and capability of attachment of logistic fittings to the inside of the trailer sides, some difficulty occurs in providing the requisite stiffness, while maintaining the space between the inner strip and the outer strip at a maximum to accommodate hooks for supporting logistics fittings. Furthermore, with such structure maintaining the inner wall-to-wall dimension at a maximum is often difficult. In particular, in order to maintain a maximum dimension for the logistics fittings, hooks or the like, the inner strip of the structure disclosed in the Yurgevich et al patent is required to protrude inwardly of the vehicle body. However, since inward protrusion of the inner strip effectively reduces usable space within the vehicle body, it is normally desirable to minimize the dimension in which the inner strip protrudes into the vehicle body. The present invention provides improved stiffness for such joints for plate trailers while maintaining the inner wall-to-wall useful dimension of the trailer at a maximum, as well as maintaining a maximum dimension within the joint for reception of logistics hooks at the precise location where the greatest dimension for such hooks is required to be located.